The law of nature is inexorable: the more fit, the more perfect survives. And man, a child of nature, is no exception. That's why people have always strived for perfection, although at different times they understood it differently.
For antiquity it was the cult of a healthy, beautiful body, for the Christian Middle Ages - spiritual perfection, service to God. In modern times they believed immensely in the possibilities of the human mind, worshipped the intellectual, the scientist.
And today there are their priorities. To occupy a worthy place in society, to achieve something, it is necessary to stand out, to be different, to be the best in your business. Many people strive to realize this goal.
The endless pursuit of the ideal is called perfectionism. There are pros and cons. The desire to perfect everything a person does in life leads many to great achievements. But this same quality can be a real punishment, both for the perfectionist and for the people around him. Why?
Pros and cons of perfectionism
- A person who is very demanding often sets himself an impossible task. For example, women who strive for perfect beauty drive themselves to anorexia or the terrible consequences of plastic surgery.
- Perfectionists are always dissatisfied with what they have achieved, they must constantly improve everything, bring to perfection, turning their lives into an endless race. Unachieved goals and unrealized dreams often become a cause of stress and depression.
- This desire can turn the life of others into a nightmare. Have you come across tyrant housewives, for whom sterile cleanliness in the house is more important than anything else? Or with the "attentive" to the nauseous little boss, giving you the document for the tenth time to revise? No? Then you're in luck.
- If a person gets hung up on one aspect of life, he loses out on everything else. People who are infinitely devoted to work are often left without a family, without children. But they realize the inappropriateness of such a life strategy only at the end of years, when it is impossible to change anything.
- Sometimes people want to be perfect in everything, it's difficult for them to define their priorities and determine the main thing in life. The result is a waste of energy, unrealized dreams and disappointment in life.
The desire for perfection is more characteristic of women. Thus, glossy advertising urges a woman to be the best in everything: to have a model-like appearance, to selflessly take care of her husband and children, to be an ideal housewife and earn no less than her lover!
Idealization of anything, according to psychologists, is a rather harmful thing. You believe that you should be a slim blonde, but the reality does not match the ideal. You think that your husband every day should give you flowers, but he does not think so. You dream that your child will be an "A" student and become a brilliant scientist, but is he or she given that ability?
These unattainable ideals (illusions, stereotypes) are the source of resentment, resentment, anger and other negative emotions, chronic stress.
What to do? Give up on ideals, on perfection? Of course not!
Only to learn that ideals are subjective and complete perfection is an illusion.
The ideal is a person who is perfect physically (healthy and beautiful), intellectually (educated, intelligent) and spiritually (highly moral, developing spiritually). Is it possible? Yes, but as an exception. Usually a person manages to achieve certain heights in one kind of activity.
There is no perfection, there is development, progress. And it is development that should be the goal. "The most perfect of men may be considered the man who strives for perfection" (Socrates). But it cannot be attained, for perfection is completeness, and completeness is rest, death. Life is constant motion. One cannot stop, otherwise there comes stagnation, degradation.
As you strive for perfection, adhere to these rules:
- Love, respect in yourself a real person, not an ideal one. Remember that any of your abilities (physical, emotional, intellectual, mental) are limited.
- Live in accordance with your own nature, try to realize your potential, fulfill your life destiny.
- Move forward, evolve, but don't try to be "super" in everything.
- Set realistic goals and set priorities. You can not grasp the immensity.
- Go for a compromise, even with their own ideals.
- Do not forget to enjoy life, enjoy it, enjoy small achievements and be happy.
You must be logged in to post a comment.